Dive Boat Sinks in Pompano Beach

[kelemvor]

My bad. Your comment that “When removed it made a sluice for incoming water.” made me think the covers had been removed

To provide for easier entry, there is no "lip" on the back of many dive boats around here. It's just flat deck all the way to the end, and a very short drop to the water from the edge. In order to keep stuff from falling off the back of the boat while underway, they put a large board, something like a 2x12 or 2x24 across the opening. The board gets lifted off so it's wide open for divers once the boat stops. That board is what he was talking about being removed.

On purpose built dive boats, it's an excellent system. On fishing/pleasure craft converted for dive it can be a little less ideal, requiring more skill to operate the boat safely and with reduced capability to handle seas/current... as this incident shows.

Here's an example of how it looks on a purpose-built dive boat:


If you want to know the proper names for the pieces, I'm sure @Wookie could elaborate.

 

[scubadada]

All the boats I use in Palm Beach Co are simply open transom, one or two ladders, no temporary closures

Loggerhead, Starfish, and Walker's as examples

 

[Divin'Papaw]

All the boats I use in Palm Beach Co are simply open transom, one or two ladders, no temporary closures

Loggerhead, Starfish, and Walker's as examples

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Pura Vida, Jupiter Dive Center, Narcosis and Kyalami are all the same design as well.

 

[PfcAJ]

The currents off Canaveral are wild too.

shoot bag from reasonable bottom conditions at 220, but surface current was howling.

it was like water skiing but underwater and holding onto the reel for dear life.

zoom af.

gas switches when you’re gettin dragged by an SMB at Mach 1 is fun.

 

[elgringoperdido]

Just spoke to the Captain of their other boat, the Aqua View. Can't remember his name. I call him The Big Lebowski because of the way he looks and acts, and he doesn't mind. In fact he says its a compliment. Anyway, he said that the Safari Diver has been raised and towed to the marina. It starts. "purrs like a kitten" is how he described the engine.

 

[CosbySweater]

I have also used the "hot drop" technique mentioned above. Sometimes the boat doesn't stop. Everyone gears up and steps off at one-second intervals as the boat passes over the target. We jump in negatively buoyant and meet below. We all have SMB and know how to deploy them at depth. This only happens when we have a group where we all know each other well, we have good visibility, and we all know the boat captain as well.

This is how every operator does it in Palm Beach county for just about every dive. It’s the safest and most efficient way to get people in the water. SMBs are mandatory.

 

[tekkydiver]

...everyone needs to know how to deploy their DSMB at the end of the dive. Nobody ties directly to the wrecks in Palm Beach County.

Deploying an SMB is no substitution for a dive flag. Remember when U/E lost their divers a few years back?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Deploying an SMB is no substitution for a dive flag. Remember when U/E lost their divers a few years back?

 

[scubadada]

Deploying an SMB is no substitution for a dive flag. Remember when U/E lost their divers a few years back?

Wasn't that a tech dive on the Sky Cliiff where the divers shot their SMBs late, after an excessive amount of drifting in current? I believe this was counter to the plan

 

[kelemvor]

This is how every operator does it in Palm Beach county for just about every dive. It’s the safest and most efficient way to get people in the water. SMBs are mandatory.

It's now been over a year since I dove in PBC, but last time I was there the operators required every buddy pair to have a normal flag. The only time I've used SMB's was in other countries. I don't think an SMB meets the legal requirement for towing a flag or being within a certain distance of the boat in Florida.

I recall the captain would just follow the flags.

Usually boats will have loaner flags if someone doesn't have one. Probably common for tourists to not bring their own.